Sympathy in short supply for Azzurri on domestic front

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THERE were, one newspaper noted in the run-up to Tuesday night’s Euro 2004 group C match between Denmark and Sweden, more than 20 Italian words for “fix”, but not one in Swedish. Even the idea of a 2-2 draw — and thus an early Italy exit — offended the Scandinavian sense of fair play.

How they swatted Italian suspicions aside. After all, Italy was the birthplace of Machiavelli, the forged ledger, the sealed envelope and the dodgy referee. The Italian football federation is investigating allegations that Serie A players were involved in match-fixing. Of course, the Italians were worried about